I joined a focus group on Fox News Channel’s “America Live” with Megyn Kelly to discuss and debate different points from President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address.
Watch the full segment here.
Thanks to Mark Goldman of Goldman and McCormick PR.
The Fine Bros. post videos of children, mostly 8-11 years old, reacting to various videos and events. Most are innocent and funny in nature. The latest segment is those children reacting to the news delivered by President Obama that Osama bin Laden was killed. It is quite interesting and telling, to say the least.
On a much lighter note, someone has too much time on their hands. Here’s a compilation of President Obama speeches edited together to sound like he’s reciting the lyrics to Rebecca Black’s “Friday.”
And finally, check out Cee Lo Green’s new take on his hit “F You” – rewritten for volunteer firefighters – this is “Thank You.”
Donald Trump is clearly trying to douse the flames on the fire he’s started with President Barack Obama over the President’s birth certificate and credentials for getting in to Harvard Law School. TMZ’s Nicki Fertile talked about what “The Donald” told TMZ on “The Ralphie Radio Show.”
Catch Nicki on TMZ TV, local listings here.
Charlie Sheen has a YouTube channel (rest easy) and released an “unedited version” of his ABC “20/20″ interview…
Going to the complete opposite end of the spectrum – three guys performing a medley of 90′s cartoon themes – truly winning.
Not heard on-air, watch the story of this NY woman who lives in a 90 sq ft. apartment.
And finally, President Barack Obama announces his re-election bid via YouTube.
Last Friday, I made a cameo on CNN Headline News’ “Prime News” with host Mike Galanos to discuss a recent viral video on YouTube. The piece in question showed a group of 8 and 9 year-old girls at a dance competition in Los Angeles. The girls wore very elaborate costumes that showed off their midriffs, along with knee-high boots – and mimicked the dance to the music video for Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”
Parents and counselors across the country voiced their displeasure in the dance instructor and the children’s parents, calling the choreography too provocative and the outfits too revealing. Lauren Lake, a former hip hop dancer who appeared on the same HLN segment with me, compared the moves to that of a stripper – asking if a pole would be the next step for dancers their age.
I’m sorry, but I have to draw the line there. These girls were in a controlled environment, with parents, supervisors, and teachers. The comparison to exotic dancers was extreme, out of line, and uncalled for. I concurred that the outfits were not age-appropriate. But the dance moves consisted of more ballerina-twirling than booty shaking, grinding, or gyrating.
Matter of fact, how much of the latter actually appeared in the video? The girls were moving around frantically, but I think the “gyrating” claim is a little generous – perhaps these critics need a tutorial on how one actually gyrates.
Galanos and Lake were both against the video – which made it very hard for me to voice my opinion in the two-part, 10 minute piece. The bias in the segment reached a fever pitch right before Galanos tossed it to me for my first of only two chances where I’d be allowed to speak. The anchor decided it would also be a good idea to question not only the dance moves and costumes – but the song as well – by picking the most provocative lyrics of the track and reading them, while the words were displayed on screen.
This is a classic example of people criticizing pop culture without understanding it. You could pick a segment out of any piece of art – a song, a movie, The Bible – and find something to demonize. What Galanos failed to understand is that taken its full, intended context – Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” is an empowering song to women of all ages. In the track, which is one of Columbia Records’ most downloaded digital singles, Beyoncé sings about finding a man that will treat her right, and not needing any guy, especially one who won’t show her the respect she deserves.
Rolling Stone named “Single Ladies” the best single of 2008. The video has close to 90 million views on YouTube. Everyone from Joe Jonas to Justin Timberlake can be found on-line mimicking the dance… there is even footage of President Barack Obama, right before his inauguration, speaking to Beyoncé and noting that his daughters made him watch the video, attempting to teach him the infamous dance moves in the process. I’d hate to “pull a KanYe” – but Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time!
“Single Ladies” is more than a song or a video – it’s a phenomenon that transcended to people of all ages and genders. Thankfully, there is at least a positive message to be taken from it.
That can’t be said for many other segments of our culture that 8 and 9 year olds are exposed to. Would Galanos and Lake rather see these girls hoola-hoop to Young Money’s “Bedrock”? How many of these dancers’ peers use a Lady GaGa song like “Just Dance” in a routine – yunno, where GaGa sings about getting drunk and hooking up in a club?
Galanos and Lake probably couldn’t answer that – which is another big problem with this whole ordeal. No one conducted a study to find out if “Single Ladies” is normally used in similar competitions, with comparable dance moves.
A TV network not giving a subject due diligence by reporting the facts? Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised of my experience after all.
Much is being made in the media over Nick Jonas and his new project: Nick Jonas and The Administration. How successful will they be? Are the Jonas Brothers no more?
The chatter is growing louder after E! News reported that Joe Jonas is now writing songs off on his own, with other musicians that don’t share his last name. However, the man the brothers refer to as “The President” told me exclusively on “The Ralphie Radio Show” that his brother Joe did recently talk shop with one artist – U2 front man Bono.
“The main thing that Bono was saying, was to just be honest with your music,” revealed Nick on his second-hand account of the conversation. “Yunno, when you write your lyrics, write things that are real to you. And don’t be afraid to be too honest.”
It seems the youngest of the 3 musical brothers already picked up on those traits though. Nick wrote a bunch of honest songs – and honestly believed they weren’t for the Jonas Brothers. He told Joe and Kevin how he honestly felt. Now Nick has an honest chance of breaking the stereotypes of an artist cultivated by the Disney machine and to be perceived as well, an honest musician.
Jonas offered up, sorry last time here, honest answers during our conversation, which lasted over 10 minutes. Apparently, the inspiration behind “Stay” – a song written after the initial recording process of the new album – is quite authentic.
“I actually wrote that song in (Washington) D.C. on a day off that we had, a couple weeks ago,” said Jonas. “I was going through some things in my life and that kind of inspired the song and it’s always good when you can pull from real inspiration and real stuff in your life.”
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Part 1: Influences – Prince, Stevie Wonder, U2′s Bono
Part 2: President Obama, Blackberry, “Jersey Shore”, “Stay”
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Nick seemed equally surprised and impressed that fans already know the lyrics simply from YouTube videos of the live performances. Jonas said the band recorded a studio version of the track recently in Boston, and that it will see the light of day somehow – possibly in an album repackage or as an iTunes bonus.
It’s also been reported that at one show recently – fellow Disney star Selena Gomez was crying as Jonas played the song. The two were recently photographed together in Chicago and ended up on the front of TMZ.com. I reminded Nick that while I’m sure he’d like to keep his personal life just that, he should still be happy that he’s relevant to the point where people care.
“Well, thank you – that’s very, very nice of you to say,” he responded with a chuckle. “Yunno, it is what it is.”
The conversation did not stray from music-related topics often, but the TV show “Jersey Shore” did come up. The Jonas clan was raised in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Nick heard of the MTV show, but has not seen an episode.
“I did see the YouTube video of Snooki, I believe it is, getting punched in the face,” he admitted. “For me personally, I feel like, coming from New Jersey, and going from that area, which, if you’re from that area, you just know that that’s kind of what it’s like. And so for people across the U.S., they’re thinking, ‘Wow, this is crazy, I’ve never seen this.’ But for me, it was like, ‘Man, that’s home.’”
Jonas still has a couple friends from Seaside Heights.
That album by the way, Who I Am, hits stores February 2. Jonas is in the midst of a 22 date-tour – a trek that he admits is much more scaled down in venue size and production from the massive schedules he embarked on with his brothers. Nick says it’s not a coincidence – as the group tries to center each performance on the music itself.
“This project in particular for me was about just being able to express myself as an artist and as a musician,” he said. “Hopefully, people will respond well to it.”
He’s 15 years old – already traveling the country with an entourage, performing at sold out venues, shutting down shopping malls, and singing for the President of the United States. Yet, you can’t blame Justin Bieber for finding it a bit weird that people actually care about his dating life.
“A little bit,” the pint-sized singer responded when I asked him if he thought it was strange that people asked him about his personal life at his age. “I mean, I’m young. I mean, I’m dating but I’m not dating anyone specific, yunno what I mean? Just like, being a kid.”
Refreshing to hear that despite all of the hoopla, and record sales, and commitments – Bieber can still focus on just that – living the life of a 15 year-old. When I spoke with him, a crew from the New York Times trailed him for an upcoming feature. Also rolling with Justin – two reps from Island Def Jam Music Group, two managers, band mates, and dancers.
You can’t blame any of the aforementioned for surrounding Bieber – the teenager became the hottest ticket in pop music faster than you can say “Bieber Fever.” Things don’t look to ease up anytime soon – 2010 will bring a new LP in My World Part 2 along with a headlining tour. Usher’s protégé revealed on The RRS that there will be an opening act for the trek, but would not announce who.
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Download the mp3
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Any star that rises as quickly as Bieber in this day and age is bound to have some controversy following – and that came courtesy of a scheduled mall performance that went awry. Matter of fact, Justin never showed up. But, on November 20, a thousand screaming tweens did storm in to the Roosevelt Mall on Long Island – and a false spotting of the teen sensation sent the crowd in to a frenzy. Paramedics took one girl away on a stretcher and police arrested IDJMG’s senior vice president for sales.
A few weeks later, Bieber played for an estimated 20,000 people outside at the Citadel Outlet Mall in Los Angeles. Although the event went off relatively smooth, there were a few reported instances of near-trampling as fans waited impatiently for the artist to arrive. All of this begs the question – have we seen the last of Justin Bieber mall appearances?
“I dunno, as long as we have enough security I think we’ll be fine,” he said. “I just don’t want little girls to get hurt… I just love to be able to perform for my fans in general.”
Most celebrities might not take working the red carpet of events as serious as others – walking through quickly, avoiding the media, briefly posing for photographers, and heading inside to the event. For Jamaican dance hall king Sean Paul, this is far from the case.
“Everybody always asks me, ‘What do you like about these events (while I’m on the red carpet)?’ I’m like, ‘The networking!’” Paul said last week – calling in to The Ralphie Radio Show from Jamaica.
In Paul’s case, he’s converted two different red carpet meet-ups in to big studio collaborations. Over the summer, he met Keri Hilson on the red carpet of the BET Awards. The two would duet for a track called “Hold My Hand” – which can be found on the iTunes version of Imperial Blaze. Now the singers will meet again – in Wilkes-Barre on November 13. 97 BHT and E&R Entertainment present Sean Paul, Keri Hilson, and Colby O’Donis at the Wachovia Arena.
“She gon’ be on the show, so I dunno what’s gonna happen there,” Paul teased, hinting to a possible on-stage performance of the track from the both of them. “Yo, I’m looking forward to it. I’m really, really looking forward to that.”
Sean Paul also converted another awards show meet-up in to a possible hit record – he first met Jay Sean at the MTV VMA’s this past September. Shortly after, the two headed in to the studio to record, “Do You Remember” – the follow-up single to Jay Sean’s “Down”, which features Lil Wayne.
“(Jay Sean) was like, ‘Yo, I like your music!’ and was like, ‘Yo, I ain’t heard all of yours, but I liked the first single that I heard and listen, let’s do something.’”
Lil Jon also cameos on the track – which features two British artists. Jay Sean is from England – and Sean Paul’s grandmother is from overseas as well.
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Part 1: Wachovia Arena/Nov. 13, Keri Hilson, Jay Sean, Red Carpets, KanYe West
Part 2: Legalization of Marijuana
More on the big show here.
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While Sean Paul recorded a potential hit record thanks to a VMA encounter, he also avoided a potential disaster – as he ran in to his friend KanYe West on the red carpet as well.
“(West) gave me some of that Hennessey,” revealed Paul. “I’m just glad I didn’t take more of that.”
Immediately after West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech, Paul knew the alcohol played a role.
“I’ve been there before,” said Paul. “I know that feeling.”
Perhaps this is just more fuel to Sean Paul’s fire (no pun intended, here) in his argument that marijuana should be legalized. The singer of such tracks as “Gimme Di Light” and “We Be Burnin’ (Legalize It)” – Paul thinks that alcohol does much more hard to society than the illegal substance.
“Last time I drank, was one month ago dude. I was on the ground for like, a half hour,” Paul recounted. “You can take it for your own judgment. I’ve been doing what (President) Obama is not against for longest time, and I ain’t been on no carpet’s on the ground for a half hour.”
Paul also cited the overpopulation in America’s prisons as a reason he’d like to see marijuana legalized by the President, who has already said that the drug isn’t a priority for the administration at the moment.